5 useful BOPIS stats every retailer should know

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The percentage of consumers who have utilized the BOPIS customer journey. (Includes data for web, mobile, and store respondents who completed the FXI 2016: Retail Edition study.)

Most consumers have used BOPIS, or Buy Online, Pickup In-Store. More specifically, about 2 in 3 people (61%) have utilized this emerging customer journey, which clearly means it’s more than just a new trend. Retailers that pay attention to the customer experience of BOPIS have also had great success that’s led to real business wins, too. One good example of a retailer that fits this description is Home Depot, as we’ve previously written about.

BOPIS: A quarter of consumers that start online end inside a store

You’ve probably noticed more people heads down staring at their smartphone in retail store aisles, and coworkers browsing websites before making a run to the store on their lunch break. Well, that makes sense since about 25% of people that start their shopping journey on the web or mobile app finish up by visiting a store.

Millennials demand BOPIS the most, but there’s a catch

The most digitally connected consumer demographic, millennials, are unsurprisingly the same group that demands an experience that caters to buying online, picking up in-store. Ignoring this could hurt a brand as it continues evolving to compete with rising online retail rivals. But there is a catch to this stat: Millennials by volume also tend to use BOPIS the least (57% of millennials compared to 71% of baby boomers and 61% of Generation X). Millennials also have have the most problems with BOPIS (26% compared to just 8% of boomers). That means rather than ignoring millennial consumers, who may have higher expectations, imagine the benefits of improving their customer experience.

The most popular retail categories for BOPIS

Consumers shopping for electronics and clothing/apparel are the most popular categories of retail when it comes to click and collect. It could be because shopping for clothing may seem time-consuming or unpleasant. For electronics, doing research on an expensive or very specific item could explain why shoppers go ahead with a transaction prior to visiting a store. Understanding the customer journey by measuring the experience is the only way to know for sure.

What’s holding BOPIS back / biggest issues

Despite the rise in BOPIS as a journey, there are still issues that are holding retailers back. About 18% of people have had problems when trying to order online and pick up at the store. The highest reported issue consumers face is that the items they purchased were not ready upon visiting the store. That’s a huge problem, as it negates part of the appeal of BOPIS if you have to wait on a store associate to rectify. And it’s hardly the only regular issue consumers are having. Others include the item not being available at all, the incorrect item waiting for a consumer upon pickup, and several more.

How to increase BOPIS shoppers

As mentioned above, there are some frequent issues associated with this journey that can be solved. Beyond plugging proverbial holes, our research shows that offering incentives on price for those that purchase online and visit a store are the most attractive, according to 42% of consumers. But it’s hardly the only method for driving more BOPIS business. Other options include offering free order pickup (19%), curbside pickup (12%), and more.

About the Author

As a pioneer in customer experience analytics, ForeSee delivers superior technology and proven methodology to connect the customer experience to the bottom line. The result is better business for companies and a better experience for consumers.